Hand-operated stalk-cutter.



J. A. STOCKTON & M. N. WILLIMON.

HAND OPERATED STALK CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 191a.

Lwawm. Patented July 21, 1914,

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MZZ 11711077,,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. STOCKTON AND MARVIN N. WILLIMON, OF TIPTON, OKLAHOMA.

HAND-OPERATED STALK-CUTTER.

Application filed November 3, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatwe, J Aims A. STOCKTON and MARVIN N. VVILLIMON, citizens of the United States, residing at Tipton, in the county of Tillman and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Operated Stalk-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to implements for severing the stalks or branches of growing plants, more particularly to devices em ployed for heading maize and for like purposes, and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may be attached to the hands of the operator, and enables him to manipulate the device while at the same time leaving the hands free for handling the product.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device which may be associated with a pair of gloves to protect the hands of the operator.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device. Fig. 2 is aside elevation without the movable jaw operating spring.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device is constructed for the right and left hands of the operator, but as the structures are precisely alike, except that the parts are made right and lefthanded, the description of one will suffice for both.

Each of the devices comprises a base member 10 to one end of which a cutting blade 11 is attached by rivets or other suitable fastening devices 12, and formed with a cutting edge 13 extending obliquely to the longitudinal plane of the base member and preferably curved toward its inner end. The blade 11 is thus rigidly coupled to the base member 10, and pivoted to the base member, as for instance by one of the rivets 12, is another cutting blade 14: having a knife edge 15 which coacts with the knife edge 13 of the blade 11. The blade 14 is so arranged that when actuated the cutting edge 15 passes beneath the cutting edge 13 and thus produces a shear-like action between the blades. standard 16, while a similar standard 17 rises from the cutting blade 11, the two standards being spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit the body of the hand of the operator to be inserted between them, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The upper portion of the standard 17 is curved toward the standard 16 to bear over the hand of the operator, as shown at 17, and thus assists in holding the device to the hand. Attached to the standard 16 is a strap 18, and connected to the base 10 by a rivet or other fastening device 19 is another strap member 20 which extends obliquely to the longitudinal plane of the base 10 and is riveted or otherwise connected at 21 to the standard 17 near its upperend. Connected at 22 t0 the strap member 20 is another strap 23 having a button 23 at its outer end to engage a button hole in. the billet of the strap 18.

The member 20 is preferably of metal and is relatively broad, and serves as a stay member to engage the palm of the hand, and thus insuresthe requisite grip at one side of the hand, while the strap 18 bears around the wrist of the operator and is connected to the button and thus couples the base 10 and its attachments to the hand. By this simple means the base 10 and its attachments including the cutting member 11, is firmly coupled to the body portion of the hand of the operator as shown.

Rising from the movable cutting blade 14 is a loop device 27 to receive the fingers of the operator, the loop being preferably large enough to receive the last three fingers, leaving the fore or index fingerand the thumb free. By this means the operator can effectually manipulate the movable cutting member 14 to cause it to coact with the cutting blade 11 and sever any object with which the cutting blades may be engaged, while at the same time leaving the fore finger and the thumb free to assist in holding the object being severed. The member 27 is preferably U-shaped, as shown, with one leg extending through the cutter 14 and the other leg externally of the cutter, the two' legs of the member 27 being coupled beneath the cutter 14 by a link device 26, While an- Rising from the base 10 is a r v other and longer link device 32 is coupled to one'leg of the member 27 and the pivot 12 of the cutter 1% base 10 and cutter 11. By this means the cutters 111t, the finger receiving member 27 and the base 10 are re inforced and supported to efiectually prevent disarrangement of the parts under the severe strains to which they are subjected when in use. By this means also thecutter 14E while movable relative to the cutter 11 will not be displaced or disarranged during the out-ting operation.

The base member 10" is provided witha perforatedlu-g 33 near its outer end, while the cutter 14 is provided with a similar perforated' lug 8 1, the lugsdesigned to receive the terminals of a spring 31 which operates to hold the jaw 14 y'ieldably in open position, and to return it to open posit-ion after each operation.- By this means the operator is relieved from the necessity of forcibly opening the jaws after each operation. The spring 31 is not shown attached to the mem-v bers in Fig. 2, as its presence would obscure the parts of the device.

A glove of suitable texture, indicated by dotted lines 28 in Fig.1, may be employed upon the hand of the, operator. The fingers of the glove which pass through the loop 27- may be connected thereto as represented at 80- so that the, glove is permanently con nected to the improved device.

At its lower end the standard 16 is bent laterallyand extends between the base 10 and blade 11, so that one of the rivets 12 firmly unites them, and at the same. time spaces the member 11 from the member 10-, and the blade 14: extends between the members 10 and 11 as shown in Fig.2. By this means the blade 14 is firmly supported from both sides, and the positive movement of the blade therefore insured.

The improved device may be employed for a variety of purposes, but is more particumaize and like growths of plants.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An implement of the class describedcomprising a support carrying a cutter, rigid standards spaced apart and rising from said support and adapted to bear respectively against the palm and the back of the hand, a. cutter swinging from the support and coacting with the cutter of the.

same, and means adapted to be actuated by the hand which. engages between the standards to operate the movable cutter.

2. An implement of. the. class described comprising a base member, a cutter connect ed to, said base member,- rigid standards spaced apart and rising respectively from said base member and cutter and adapted to receive the hand of the operator, another I cutter pivoted between the first-mentioned cutter and the base, and means adapted to be actuated by the hand which is engaged by the standards to operate the movable cutter. 3. In a device of the class described, a

base member, a stationary cutter spaced from the base member, a rigid standard having a lateral offset engaging between the base and stationary cutter, another rigid standard spaced fromthe first-mentioned standard and connected to the stationary cutter, a movable cutter pivoted b'etween the stationary cutter and the base and support ed thereby, a finger receiving loopcarried by the movable cutter, and straps arranged to hold the base and standards upon a hand with the fingers thereof engaging the loop.

1. An implement of the class described comprising a support including a body and rigid standards spaced apart and adapted to receive the hand of the operator, a sta tionary cutter connected to said support, another cutter movably coupled to said support, operating means carried by said movable cutter and adapted to be engaged by the fingers. ofthe hand which engages the support, a stay member connected to said supporting body and to one or the standards, and straps-including coactin'g-rastening means and connected respectively to one or said standards; and to said stay and adapted to engage the hand of the operator;

5. An implement of the class described comprising a support adapted to be attached to a hand and carrying a stationary cutter, another cutter pivoted to said support, a finger receiving loop includingmembers spaced apart, one of the loop members being secured to the movable cutter, a link connecting the members of the finger receiving loop, and another link connecting the r finger receiving loop to the pivot of the movable cutter.

larly designed for removing. the heads from Z 6. An implement of; the class described comprising a support havingaa cutter and with rigid standards spaced apart to bear upon opposite sides of a hand,- one of said.-

"standards being curved inwardly at the upper end to engage over thejhand, another copies 6! tliislpatefit niay, lie obtained for five cents each,,-by. addressing the dommi ssi oxrer of i atents Washington, D. G. 

